Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-08-10

:
' all these astronomers of earth, about viii
the aurora borealis was, and none OF thel
r could guess. They know now they hay
been out there to see for themselves.
What are our departed Christian chen
lists doing? Following out their ow
, science, following out and following ou
forever. Since they died they have solve
ten thousand questions which once puzzle
the earthly laboratory. They stand on th
other side of the thin wall of electricity
the wall that seems to divide the physica
from the spiritual world, the thin wall O
, electricity, SO thin the wall that ever an,
anon it seems to be almost broken through
broken through from our side by tele
!, phonic and telegraphic apparatus, broker
through from the other side by strange in
1uences which men in their ignorance cal
, spiritualistic manifestations. All that mat
d ter cleared up. Agassiz standing amid hi
student explorers down in Brazil comm,
across some great novelty in the rocks, tax
} ing off his hat and saying: Gentlemen
let us pray; we must have divine illumi.
nation we want wisdom from the Create
to study these rocks He made them le
US pray"-Agassiz going right on with hi
studies forever and forever.
i But what are the men of the law, who il
this world found their chief joy in the lega
PROFESSIONALISM are they doing now
Studying law in universe where every
thing is controlled by law from Aght o
humming bird to flight of world-Mw, no
| dry and hard and drudging, but righteous
and magnificent, before which man ant
cherub and seraph and archangel and God
himself, bow. The chain of law, Ions
enough to wind around the immensities an6
infinity and eternity. Chain of law. What
a place to study law, where all the links o.
| the chain are in the hand
What are our departed Christian friends
who in this world had their Joy in the
healing art, doing now? Busy at their ole
business. No sickness in heaven, but
Iplenty of sickness on earth, plenty Of
wounds in the different parts of Gods do
minion to be healed and to be medicated.-
You cannot understand why that patient
got well after all the skilful doctors of New
York and Brooklyn had said. he must die
Perhaps Abercrombie touched him-Aber
crombie, who, after many years. doctoring
the bodies and the souls of people in Scot
land went up to God in 1874. Perhaps
Abercrombie touched him.
should not wonder if my old friend, DIR.
John Brown, who died in Edinburgh
John Brown, the author of 'Rab and His
Friends s''-John Brown, who was as hum
BILE Christian as he was skilful physi-
clan and world-renowned author-I should
not wonder if he had been back again and
again to see some of his old patients. Those
who had their Joy in healing the sickness
are'come forth again for benign medicament
But what are our friends who found their
chief Joy in conversation and in sociality
doing row? In brighter conversation there
and in grander sociality.
| What place to visit in, where your next
door neighbors are kings and queens. You
yourselves kingly and queenly. If they
want to know more particularly about the
first Paradise, they have only to 60 over and
ask Adam. If they want to know how the
sun and moon halted, they have only to 60
over and ask Jashua. If they want to
know how the storm pelted Sodom, they
have only to go over and ask Lot. If they
want to know more about the arrogance OF
Haman, they have only to go over and ask
Mordecai. If they want to know how the
Red sea boiled when it was cloven, they
have only to go over and ask Moses. Ii
they want to know the particulars about
the Bethlehem advent, they have only to
go over and ask the serenading angels who
stood that Christmas night in the balconies
of crystal. If they want to know more of
the particulars of the crucifxion, they have
only to go over and ask those who were
personal spectators, while the mountains
crouched and the heavens got black in the
face at the spectacle. If they want to
know more about the sufferings of tho
Scotch Covenanters, they have only to go
over and ask Andrew Melville, If they
want to know more about the old time re-
vivals, they have only to 60 over and ask
| Whitefeld, and Wesley, and Livingston,
and Fletcher, and Nettleton, and Finney.
Oh! what place to visit in.
If eternity were one minute shorter, it
would not be long enough for such sociali-
ty. Think of our friends who in this world
were passionately fond of flowers turned
into Paradise! Think Of our friends who
were very fond of raising superb fruit turn
ed into the orchard where each tree has
twelve kinds of fruit at once, and bearing
the fruit all the year round!
| What are our departed Christian friends
doing in Heaven, those who on earth found
their chief joy in the Gospel ministry9
They are visiting their old congregations.
Most of those ministers have got their
people around them already. When get
to Heaven-as by the grace of God am
destined to go to that place. will come
and see you all. Yea, will come to all
the people to whom l have administered in
the Gospel, and to the millions of souls to
whom through the kindness of the printing
press, am permitted to preach every week
in this land and in other lands-letters
coming from New Zealand and Australia
and the uttermost parts of the earth as vel
as from near nations, telling me of the
souls have helped-I will visit them all
I give them fair notice. Our departed
friends of the ministry are engaged in that
delectable entertainment now.
But what are our departed Christian
friends who in all departments OF usefulness
were busy, finding their chief joy in doing
good-what are they doing now9 Going
right on with the work. John Howard Wis
iting dungeons; the dead women of North
ern and Southern battlefelds, still abroad
looking for the wounded; George Peabody
still watching the poor; Thomas Clarksor
still looking after the enslaved-all of those
who did good on earth buster since death
than before. The tombstone not the ter
minus but the starting-post. What are
our departed Christian friends who found
their chief joy in studying God, doing nowi
Studying God yet. No need of revelation
now, for unblanched they are face to face
Now, they can handle the omnipoten
thunder bolts just as child handles the
sword of father come back from victoriou.
battle. They have no sin, nor fear conse
quently. Studying Christ, not through 6
revelation, save the revelation of the scars
that deep lettering which brings it all W
quick enough. Studying the Christ of the
Bethlehem caravansary, the Christ of the
awful massacre, with its hemorrhage ol
head and hand and foot and side-the
Christ of the shattered mausolem-Christ
the sacrifice, the star, the sun, the man,
the God, the Goldman, the man-God.
But hark! the bell of the cathedral rings
the cathedral bell of Heaven.
What is the matter now? There is going
to be great meeting in the temple. Wor.
shippers all coming through the aisles.
Make room for the conqueror. Christ stand
ing in theStemple. All Heaven gathering
around Him. Those who loved the beauti
full, come to look at the Rose of Sharon.
Those who loved music, come to listen tc
His voice. Those who were mathemati
clans, come to count the years of His reign
| Those who were explorers. come to dis